Do You Have This Blood Type? You Will Become a Target for Ticks in the Woods
Ixodids are extremely dangerous. Those that can be found in fields or forests (and even in home gardens, which many people forget about) carry dangerous bacteria and viruses. Infecting a person with them poses a great threat - they may be forced to fight Lyme disease (borreliosis) or tick-borne encephalitis (encephalitis ixodica). The course of both diseases is very unpleasant - in both cases, it can end with, among other things, chronic problems of the nervous system.
That is why it is so important to spray your body with a repellent (for example, one containing a high concentration of DEET - diethyltoluamide) before going into the forest or choose clothing that will cover the skin of your entire body. After a visit to the "bosom" of nature, it is advisable to carefully inspect the body and remove the tick - the sooner, the less chance of infection.
Perhaps people with a specific blood type should be especially careful in the forest. A study from years ago suggests that arachnids choose it most often.
Blood Type and Ticks? A Study That Gives Food for ThoughtScientists from Masaryk University in Brno decided to determine whether ticks have preferences for a specific human blood type. In 2018, their conclusions were published in the journal Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine.
The researchers collected 100 nymphs of the Ixodes ricinus tick and transported them to the laboratory. Then, they placed drops of blood on Petri dishes. The parasites most often chose group "A" - 36 percent of them. They were least interested in "B" - 15 percent.
The main author of the experiment was Dr. Alena Žákovská. It is worth adding that although the experts' findings are promising, they are only the beginning on the road to understanding ticks.
Read also: Cannibal spiders do not hunt their siblings, even when they are starving. Their name is justified, however Read also: Tick-borne encephalitis - it is worth getting vaccinated. How much does the vaccine cost?
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